U.S. Pat. No. 6,201,174 to Eller (2001) discloses a computerized tablature composer that generates tablature notation from conventional staff notation. However, the disclosure of the '174 patent does not provide any teaching or suggestion as to how to generate the tablature. In addition, Eller's patent does not generate an automated fingering sequence in order to perform the musical composition efficiently.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,828 to Farrand (1995) discloses a means for automatically producing guitar fingerboard information for chords from staff notation. Farrand's invention analyzes the music for various instruments and produces guitar chords that fit the harmonic rhythm of the melody; it does not give the fingering positioning for the exact notes in the staff notation that a guitar would play, and it only deals with chords, not individual notes of the melody. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,828, FIG. 14, the first measure of the music depicts a D chord in second position on the guitar fingerboard; this is not, however, how the three notes shown in the staff of the music would be played by the guitar (i.e., Farrand's chord does not depict the exact voicing of the chord from the staff notation).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,639,977 to Hesnan (1997) discloses a music learning aid that displays playing instructions associated with musical notes. However, Hesnan's invention does not give an automated means for determining optimal or secondary fingering of an instrument for a given musical piece.
Various patents (e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,533,903, 5,639,977, 5,690,496, and 6,388,181) discuss the depiction of musical instrument fingering. However, none of them provides a method for automatically determining the fingering information.